Indian Team Reaches St Kitts But Coach’s Kit Left Behind

The last time Anil Kumble flew out from the Caribbean shores, he had gre at reasons to feel elated. The ace leggie had picked the last West Indian wicket in the fourth Test at Jamaica to hand India a historic win in the islands after a wait of 35 years.

Ten years later, he’s back again in those islands as coach of the Indian team, looking for something as special.

The tour, however, seems to have started with a minor hiccup for Kumble. After the team landed in St Kitts on Thursday following a long flight from London, Kumble realized that British Airways had left his kit behind at Gatwick airport. The airways took to twitter and a bit of humor to apologise to Kumble, promising to ‘bowl over’ the coach with its service soon.

@anilkumble1074 We're sorry your bags are 'not out' to St Kitts! They have been 'caught behind' your flight from Gatwick. We are looking 1/2

While this wasn’t the first time that cricketers have landed on tours minus their kits and not the first time either for British Airways to contribute to such mess (remember Anjali Tendulkar?).

Kumble, nevertheless, was in great spirits, as was the rest of the team when they walked out of the flight at the St Kitts airport, clicking selfies and posing with the attendants. In nearby Americas, for mer Australian opener Justin Langer was at the Facebook headquarters, where he said in an interview to the social media website that a coachcaptain “pairing like Anil Kumble and Virat Kohli should put fear in the hearts of the opposition.“

India and West Indies are scheduled to play a four match Test series, starting July 21 at Antigua, in what will be Kumble’s first assignment as the chief coach and Kohli’s first tour to the Caribbean as Test captain.

India will play a couple of warm-up matches against West Indies Cricket Board President’s XI on July 9-10 and July 14-16 at Warner Park, Basseterre here.